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Faculty Development Grants Guidelines

Purpose

As defined by the committee, faculty development projects are those related specifically to the faculty member’s teaching function at the university. They are intended to enhance instructional effectiveness and innovation.

Who can apply

All full-time faculty may apply for a faculty development grant. Worthy applications equally ranked will be considered in the following order of priority:

Tenure-Track Ordinary Faculty

Tenured Ordinary Faculty

Extraordinary Faculty

Part-time Faculty

Expenses Funded

Expenses eligible for funding may include (in no particular order):

Attendance by a faculty member at a workshop, institute, internship, residency, course of study or related activity that will enhance instruction and/or develop pedagogical skills.

Costs to bring in guest faculty, performers, artists, speakers or other experts to enhance teaching at the department, college or University level and/or contribute to University-wide faculty professional development in pedagogy.

Supplies, instrumentation, or apparatus to support effective, innovative instruction and/ or enhance the learning environment for students.

Faculty development grants do not fund release time, reimbursement of past expenses, major equipment purchases, extensive travel, or funding for site visits for international programs and courses.

For all applications:

Among other topics, faculty are encouraged to propose projects that address enhancement in (1) core areas of long-term interest, or (2) additional areas of emphasis congruent with university-wide instructional initiatives for that year.

While the university will continue to award special grants for first-year seminars and revision/development of Common Curriculum courses, the University Internal Grants Committee will consider projects in these areas as well.

Proposal Preparation

Narratives must be complete and specific, including a description of the project activities, methods and techniques for enhancing teaching and using high-impact practices. Applications must also include a clearly itemized budget and detailed justification. The justification should convey the need for the requested funds and explain how each cost will contribute to the success of the project. The requested costs should be listed in order of priority. Whenever possible, the justification should include the level of detail specified below:

Travel. For example, if funds are requested for local transportation, specify the purpose, number of miles, and rate. (This rate should not exceed the university’s current maximum, which can be found on the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs website.) If budgeted travel is to an event, specify the event, location, and purpose. Identify the traveler (if not applicant).

Per diem costs. Specify the recipient(s) and number of days for each. Requested per diem costs should not exceed the maximum rate allowed for federal awards (see Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs website.)

Other costs. These should be clearly delineated. For example, if funding is requested for a contract, specify the qualifications and identity of the provider, the work to be provided, the hourly rate, and number of hours; and include a statement verifying that this rate has been researched and determined to be within the market norm. If specific information cannot be obtained at the time of application, please specify this fact and provide as reasonable cost estimation as possible. (For example, if you will contract for specific services, but have not identified the provider, describe the type of provider you are seeking and list the market rate, rather than that of a specific provider.)

Proposal Evaluation and Selection: Proposals should be written for a general, but educated, audience. It is the responsibility of the applicant to convey the need for/significance of the proposed activity to the committee, which will necessarily represent a general academic audience, rather than a panel of experts in the applicant’s area of expertise

The Committee normally approves only one grant for a given project. With the intent of funding as many projects as possible, only one grant will be awarded per applicant per grant year. Priority will be given to applicants who have not received an internal grant for projects within the past three years. In addition to completeness and clarity, the Committee considers the following in evaluating grant applications:

The significance of the project. Does it address an issue important to curricular reform or teaching enhancement and will it advance the strategic goals of the university? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will student learning be enhanced? What skills (such as critical thinking) or insights will be gained? Will the project contribute to university-wide initiatives or areas of emphasis?

The potential of the project to enhance teaching effectiveness

The potential of the project to enhance the university’s reputation through presentation at national conferences and/or publication of outcomes

The potential of the project to lead to external funding for future projects that address curricular reform and teaching enhancement

The evidence that the project is grounded in best pedagogical practices

The soundness of the plan to assess the effectiveness of the project, including assessment of student learning outcomes

The applicant’s ability to complete the project as evidenced by his/her past productivity and the record of final reports on projects previously funded by the university

Time since last grant funding and distinction between this project and previously funded projects

Dissemination plans: how will the applicant share the results of the funded project to promote faculty development in teaching effectiveness to the Loyola community?

Funding

The project budget is normally written for a total of no more than $3,500. In exceptional cases, the committee will consider awards that exceed the usual maximum. If more than $3,500 is requested, the budget justification must clearly explain why the additional funding is necessary. In order to fund as many proposals as possible, the committee may choose to provide less funding than the total requested, regardless of amount. For this reason and because the committee cannot have specific knowledge of the practical requirements of each proposed project, it is incumbent on the applicant to provide a compelling justification of his or her budget. The justification should list the budget items in order of funding priority. This justification should clearly inform the committee of any specific budget cuts that would prevent the project from being undertaken.

Grant Policies and Conditions

If project costs exceed the grant award, the excess costs are the sole responsibility of the grant recipient.

If a funded project produces income for the recipient (e.g. from an invention, a book, software, a musical composition, or a work of art), it is university policy that the recipient shall reimburse the university up to the amount of the grant from income generated by the sale or use of the property made possible by the grant. For this reason, the grant recipient is responsible for advising the University, through the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, of any income generated from the project. Written notification should be made within 60 days of receipt of income.

A final report, reflecting the final outcome of the project, is due within thirty days after the conclusion of the grant period. All final reports are kept on file in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and consulted by the committee at the time of future grant applications to the committee. (A poor record of compliance will negatively impact an applicant’s prospect for future funding.)

All funded applications will be posted to the password-protected Center for Faculty Innovation intranet unless the award recipient specifically requests otherwise.